Fire-escape



H. J. GRIEST.

FIRE ESCAPE.

U APPLICATKON FILED JUNE 17, I920. 1,370,306, Patented Mar. 1, 1921 3SHEETS-SHEET W1 TNESSES: IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application filed June 17, 1920. Serial No. 389,594.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. Gnms'r, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county ofDelaware and the State of Pennsylvania, have invented ceris particularlyserviceable for use in hotels' or other buildings.

Another object is to so make my improved fire escape that it can bereadily controlled to prevent injury to the person while being loweredand which can be manipulated quickly so that a large number of personscan be lowered in a short time through the medium of one of the devices.

Another object is to make my improved fire escape of a simple anddurable construction and so that it can be stored in a comparativelysmall space.

A still further object is to provide means which is operative, after thelast person has reached the ground, to permit the apparatus to berecovered.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevationtaken centrally through my improved fire escape showing the same readyfor use and illustrating how the device is supported on a window sill topermit a person in the room to actuate the device to lower anotherperson from the window,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the controlling portion of myinvention showing the same in a. position to permit the lowering of aperson,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows the position of my improved fire escape as it appears whenin use to permit the last person to be lowered from the window, thecontrolling means descending with the person and under the control ofsaid person, and

. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation, partly 1n section, showing how thedevice can be recovered after the last person reaches the ground.

Referring to the drawings, 7 represents a window sill upon which ismounted the controlling device 8 of my improved fire escape; saidcontrolling device including a substantially U-shaped frame 9. The base10 of which is initially placed upon the window sill when the device isto be used, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. An eyelet 11 is pivotallyconnected to the sides 12 of the frame 9 and a snap hook 13 engages theeyelet 11. A hook arm 14 is adapted to embrace the inner edge'15 of thewindow sill; said hook arm having a loop end 15 pivotally connected tothe eye 16 of the snap hook 13.

Two rods 17 and 18 have their opposite ends riveted to the sides 12 ofthe frame 9; the rod 17 being spaced above the rod 18. Anti-frictionrollers 19 and 20 are pivotally mounted respectively on the rods 17 and18. Other rods 21 and 22 have their opposite ends secured within thesides 12 of the frame 9 to the rear of the rods 17 and 18 and these rods21 and 22 have rollers 23 and 24 rotatably mounted thereon. A rod 25also has its opposite ends secured to the sides 12 of the frame 9 and isprovided with a roller 26. A yoked handle 27 has the bottom ends of itsleg portions 28 secured to a pivot rod 29; said pivot rod extendingthrough the sides of the frame 9 and between said sides is provided witha roller 30 which is positioned below the roller 20 and slightly forwardthereof. It will thus be noted that the yoked handle 27 is free to swingon the rod 29 as a pivot. A controlling rod 31 has its opposite endssecured to the leg portions 28 of the yoked handle 27 and passes throughslots 32 in the sides 12 of the frame 9. These slots 32 are preferablymade concentric with the pivot rod 29 and the controlling rod 31 betweenthe sides 12 of the frame 9 is provided with a roller 33 which isadapted to swing due to movement of the yoked handle 27 toward and fromthe space between the rollers 19 and 20. A flexible device 34 which ispreferably made in the form of a strong tape or strap, which may beeither woven or otherwise produced, is laced between its lower run ofthe flexible device. It will thus be seen that there is a loop of thestrap 34 which surrounds the forward portion of the roller 33 andextends respectively under and over the rollers 19 and 20. Thearrangement is such that there is not enough space between the rollers19 and 20 to permit the roller 33 with the tape thereon to pass entirelybetween the rollers 19 and 20 and if tension is placed upon either ofthe runs of the strap, the strap will be wedged between the roller 33and rollers 19 and 20 since said tension on the belt will tend to movethe yoked handle and consequently the roller 33 so that the'latter willjam between the rollers 19 and 20 and it will be impossible to moveeither run of the strap 34. If however the yoked handle 27 is pushed andheld forwardly, such for example as shown in Fig. 3, either of the runsof the strap 34 can be freely pulled and the various rollers will rotateto permit either of the runs of the strap to be moved. The opposite endsof the strap 34 are preferably provided with rings 35 to which securingdevices 36 can be attached and said securing devices may consist, asillustrated, of looped straps which may be placed around the body of aperson who is to be lowered from the window.

In the use of the device one person is supposed to act as operator wherea number of persons are to be lowered, and the securing device 36 isplaced about the body of a person or otherwise suitably secured to saidperson, after which the person climbs out of the window and hangssuspended from one of the runs of the strap 34; it being noted that theother run of the belt is sufiiciently long to extend to the ground afterhaving been thrown out of the window. The operator then moves the yokedhandle 27 forwardly or in other words into the position shown in Fig. 3.This frees the portion of the strap between the rollers 19, 33 and 20andthe person will be lowered from the window under the control of theoperator who can, if desired, prevent too rapid descent by releasing theyoked handle and the weight of the person on the the strap 34 will causethe handle to move into locking position as shown in Fig. 1. Thus aperson can be lowered to the ground without injury and during thelowering movement the opposite end of the strap will be raised andanother person can be secured to said latter mentioned end by anothersecuring device similar to 36 and in this manner any number of personscan be lowered.

When it becomes necessary for the operator to leave the building he canattach one of the ecuring devices to himself, then release the snap hookfrom the eyelet 11, then attach one of the end rings 35 of thestrap tothe snap hook and finally attach the securing device to the eyelet andcrawl out of the window and lower himself by the manipulation of-theyoked handle27; the parts being in the position as illustrated in Fig.5.. Forthe purpose of recovering or saving the fire escape I pivot alever 37 between the side portion 14 of the hook arm 14; the pivotalconnection as shown at 38 being located under the edge 15 of the windowsill. A rope or cord 39 is attached to the outer free end of the lever37 and before taking a particular form, it'will be understood that thevarious parts of my invention may be changed without departing from thespirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the preciseconstruction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make suchchanges and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the-appendedclaims. 7

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new and-desire tosecure by Letters Patent is V 1. A fire escape including two. guidingmembers spaced apart; a guiding member movable relatively to said firstmentioned members; and a flexible device having a portion extendingaround said second mentioned member and between said other members, thespace between said first mentioned members being such that when tensionis applied tosaid flexible device, sa1d members will be moved relativelyto each other to cause the jamming, of'said flexible device therebetweenand thereby stop relative movement between said guiding. members of saidflexible device; substantially as described... 2. A fire escapeincluding a frame; a handle pivoted to the frame; two'members connectedto said frame and spaced apart; a member connected to said handle; and aflexible device extending around said latter member and between saidfirst members,'said member on the handle being adapted when moved in onedirection by tension exerted on the flexible device, to cause saidflexible device to be jammed between it and the other members, and whenmoved in the opposite direction by operation of the handle to permit theflexible device to move freely in the direction of its length.

8. A fire escape including a frame; members spaced apart and securedbetween the sides of said frame; a handle pivotally connected to saidframe; a member on said handle; and a flexible device having a portionextending around said handle member and between said first members, thespace between said first members being such that when tension is appliedlengthwise to said flexible device, the handle member will be moved tojam said portion of the flexible device in contact with said firstmembers, said handle being movable to move said second mentioned memberin an opposite direction to release said portion of the flexible deviceto permit movement thereof in the direction of its length; substantiallyas described.

4. A fire escape including a frame; members spaced apart and securedbetween the sides of said frame; -a handle pivotally connected to saidframe; a member on said handle; a flexible device having a portionextending around said handle member and between said first members, thespace between said first members being such that when tension is appliedlengthwise to said flexible device, the handle member will be moved tojam said portion of the flexible device in contact with said firstmembers, said handle being movable to move said second mentioned memberin an opposite direction to release said portion of the flexible deviceto permit movement thereof in the direction of its length; and a hookfor detachable connection to said frame and to a supporting structure,said flexible device having portions adapted to be attached to saidhook; substantially as described.

5. A fire escape including a frame; guiding members spaced apart andsecured between the sides of said frame; a yoked handle pivotallyconnected to said frame; a member on said handle extending between thesides of said frame, said frame having slots through which said memberextends; and a flexible device having a portion located between thesides of said frame and extending around said handle member and betweensaid first members, the space between said first members being such thatwhen tension is applied lengthwise to said flexible device, the handlemember will be moved to jam said portion of the flexible device incontact with said first members, said handle being movable to move saidsecond mentioned member in an opposite direction to release said portionof the flexible device to permit movement thereof in the direction ofits length; substantially as described.

6. A fire escape having a hook arm for attachment to the inner edge of awindow sill;

osi-

the

a lever connected to said hook arm at a tion to be located under saidedge 0 window sill; and means connected to said lever for moving thelever into a fulcruming position with respect to said edge of the windowsill to move said hook arm out of embracing position with said edge ofthe window s1ll; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY J. GRIEST'.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH GARBE, Cms. E. Porrs.

